


From Monsters, We Were Born

by orphan_account



Category: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: AU, Action, F/F, Jaeger Pilots, Past Character Death, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-08-18
Updated: 2013-08-18
Packaged: 2017-12-23 23:11:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/932193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two years ago, tragedy struck the Clockwork Rose. Relinquishing her role as a pilot, Homura Akemi drifted into the shadows of the Jaeger program. Madoka Kaname simply went on with her life. Neither lasted. Pacific Rim AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	From Monsters, We Were Born

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there folks! I'm sure Pacific Rim AUs are springing up all over the place for every fandom you can imagine these days... still, I have some ideas I'd like to play with for a PMMM one, and I hope you all find it satisfactory.
> 
> Some characters are already dead, some will show up later, and some are completely different from their canon counterparts!

Becoming a Jaeger pilot was single greatest regret in Homura Akemi’s life.

With all that she had seen, and all that she had done, one might think her regrets would lie elsewhere. They, however, would not be thinking it all the way through. She regretted those things—oh yes—but none of them would have even happened had she refused the initial poisonous offer.

Glory, eh? Fighting for your country, fighting for the Earth? It was bullshit. Utter bullshit, at the end of the day. It was war—and war would always be vile, and its participants just as much so.

So when was the last time she had felt proud of this career? A few months ago? A year? No, she knew the answer all too well. It had been two years, to the day.

Her dreams were still stained with vague representations—half-truths and bizarre symbolism—of the worse few seconds. A claw would reach through the hull every single time, and scratch out at her unprotected face, her armor having suddenly vanished along with cockpit, leaving her open in the horrid, deadly stretch of sea—

“Ms. Akemi!”

She pulled a deep breath in through her nose and out through pursed lips. Lungs still working. Her feet were on solid ground and the air was plenty breathable. Her eyes darted up to the heavy iron doorway, silently urging the woman to come in.

“Ah, Shizuki…” She mumbled, standing up from her chair. Bitterly, she realized that she had  begun to nod off while resting there. “What is it?”  
Shizuki’s eyebrows knitted together, making Homura’s heart skip a beat. It was an expression consistent with important news from their superiors—the kind that unnerved her far beyond imagination, and even farther beyond what she would admit out loud. “A new group of prospective drift candidates are schedules to arrive tonight…” She shifted uncomfortably—the girl was holding something back. “Sir wishes that you perhaps… greet them.”

The information didn’t seem quite right. It was too simple for the expression etched into the poor girl’s face. Homura had seen it enough to know the warning signs of what was to come. It was time to apply a bit of pressure: “That’s not all, is it?”

“No, ma’am.”

Homura narrowed her eyes, flicking the hair back from her face. “Well then…?”

“Some of the recruits were selected with the prospect of drifting with _you_ in mind, Ms. Akemi.”

Homura drew in a sharp breath. An innocent nightmare had become a premonition—the Kaiju claws scratching in her dreams had finally reached her, and they had taken her limp body fully into their grasp.

“Thank you, Ms. Shizuki,” She croaked, trying as covertly as possible to steady herself on the desk behind her. “That will be all.”

The concerned expression on the officer’s face deepened—at least to Homura’s eyes—as she backed out the door. “0800 Hours, ma’am. At the runway.” She turned, and headed briskly away, leaving Homura stranded in an undulating ocean of fear.

She couldn’t.

Not even if her master declared she must. Not after what had happened—what happened withMami.

\---

These days, there were only two kinds of people—citizens and officers. Dissenters were a thing of the past—the so-called “Walls of Life” were deemed a complete failure not half-a-decade after the idea was implemented. Fighting the Kaiju threat was the only viable option, they had said. You either did your part now, or tried to go on with your life as best you could.

Madoka Kaname had taken the second route—she went on with her life.

“I’m back!” She called out as she shuffled through the door, groceries tucked into one arm while she used her unburdened hand as a megaphone.

“Ah, Madoka! Took you long enough! ‘M in the TV room!”

Slipping off her shoes, Madoka took the bag with both hands, and padded down towards her mother’s voice. Passing through the cramped kitchen, she set the tote down on the counter, and went to the family room entrance.

She poked her head cautiously in through the doorway before coming all the way inside. Her mother was sprawled out on the floor, feet tucked under the kotatsu as the news blinked and flashed on the TV a couple of meters away. “Find anything good?” She asked, momentarily turning her head away from the apparently riveting program.

“Hmm, not much…” Madoka replied as brightly as possible. She swallowed the nerves rising in her chest. She had a plunge to take—but she hadn’t any idea when the time would be right for it. “There was one can of tomatoes though! Imagine my shock…”

Not even the idea of fighting came easy to Madoka—nor did much of anything. She had graduated high school with decent grades, and a decent spot on her archery team, but… never anything more. She had moved in with her parents and her brother in an attempt to make up for it—to be some sort of use to them as an extra hand around the house, or a bit more income for the lot…

“Ehh, as long as you got the rice, yeah?” Her mother snorted lightheartedly. “Your father is out on the balcony with his plants. If he actually has grown something by now, I’m sure we can spice it up with… Madoka?” She turned around, now fully attentive, and shuffled her feet out from beneath the table.  

“…Yeah?” Madoka looked up from her interlaced fingers, heart beating like a massive drum.

“Are you doing okay? You seem just a bit… off.”

“I’m fine! I just…”

It had been a whim. Well, less of a whim and more of the result of a lifetime’s worth of emotions building up beneath her skin, only to be unleashed in one stupid, stupid moment.

She had been walking down the city street, back from shopping, as she always did. Her feet moved with haste—as they always did—a little part of her always swore that another Kaiju would rise up out of the sea at any moment, leaving her alone on the street to fend for herself along with a million other strangers no better off than her. As she walked onward in a proverbial autopilot, she passed the military headquarters for the area—as she always did. Today, there was some sort of recruitment faire going on, and a small crowd of people had gathered in front of the offices as a result. In a peculiar state of mind, her eyes honed in on the mass of people and tables, and her steps slowly drifted leftwards, towards joining their throngs.

All she ever did was run errands and doodle posters for a bit of extra cash. It was nice for the family—but how nice? Her mother was the real source of income, and her father’s house skills were far more useful… even Tatsuya had more prospect than she did. His grades were already far better, and in a couple of years, he could probably help their family get along much better than anything she could do with herself.

She couldn’t help her family. She couldn’t help the world, or even her county… so what could she do then? Maybe if she just looked into the careers they were offering today, maybe she could find a match for her limited abilities…

“Ah!”

In her daze, she had walked straight into someone’s shoulder, eliciting a short yelp of surprise from her open mouth. Her face turning hot, she had spun around to find the tall young man she had hit looking right back at her. He was completely paper-white—skin, hair, everything, save for his eyes and his dark red suit. The air about him was heavy, and reeked with the sort of official poise and grace that could strip the confidence off even the proudest of humans.

“Hello, miss.” He greeted warmly.

“H-hello…” She cast her gaze down. Strangers always made her a bit nervous, no matter how clean-cut they appeared to be.

“I’m sorry to have frightened you,” The albino man’s voice was quite high-pitched, even slightly youthful and feminine. It didn’t seem to match with his face at all. “You have interest in the military? Don’t worry, I’m merely curious.”

“Oh,” It couldn’t hurt to say. “I was just planning on browsing…I want to help, you know? I don’t do enough for the cause, or even my family, and I…oh, I just don’t think there’s anything I _could_ do.” She averted her eyes, not wanting to give off a rude first impression. “But it’s worth looking, right? …Um, do you work here?”

The man smiled perfectly back at her. “I do indeed. What’s your name?”

“Madoka Kaname,” She bowed and offered her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you…?”

He shook his head, and took her hand in his own. “My name isn’t important now—what’s important is what I do— I recruit potential Jaeger pilots—“ He paused, narrowing his eyes and studying her so carefully that it sent a chill running “—And I’d like you to be one of them.”

If it was the man’s charisma, or the sudden gift of a dream-come-true, she did not know, but somehow, some way— she had agreed.

“—Mother?”

“What is it, dear…?”

“I think—I think I’m going to become a Jaeger pilot.”

\---

The flight to the Jaeger base was perhaps the shortest trip Madoka had ever taken.

It was laced with memories and guilt—the kind that blossomed from the tearful goodbye she had shared with her family. Of course, they couldn’t stop her—she was a legal adult, and her life and her decisions were her responsibility. No one had loved the idea, which was understandable given the risks involved, but they would come to terms with it. At least they said they would.

She left exactly one week after announcing her departure.

“Remember there are people who care about your life,” Her mother had said, gripping onto her shoulders before she left the apartment, suitcase in hand. “You may think you can throw it away for these grand causes, and no one will care, but… but it’s not like that. Okay?” She had tried to fight back the tears, but as soon as her mother’s hand reached her cheek, they came flowing out, and did not stop until she was far from their tiny little home.

Moments like that made her wonder—if this really was the decision she should have made. Perhaps her little offering of money, labor, and companionship was enough for her family. Perhaps the whole planet and every single country on it didn’t actually need her help in the Kaiju War. The man may have said she could be a pilot—a great pilot—but what basis did he really have? Sure, the written exam he had given produced high (even incredible…) scores, but… but what did that mean in comparison to real-world action? There were at least a dozen other recruits onboard this plane alone—surely some of them would be booted.

On the bright side, if she failed, she could always go home… and with that thought on her mind, failing was almost becoming the preferable option.

“Attention passengers,” The P.A. fizzled to life. “We’ve reached our destination.” A murmur passed along the crowd of people as they all began to unbuckle their seatbelts and stretch their legs. Madoka joined them without hesitation, legs aching from sitting still and a yawn rising in her chest. Right now, she couldn’t bear to think of the densely packed lodgings that surely awaited her.

“Right this way, ma’am,” A young woman was standing at the front of the craft, clipboard in one arm, and gesturing towards the exit with the other. “The other recruits should have already arrived and will be waiting outside.” Without thinking, Madoka gave a short nod of understanding before remembering that the instructions were not for her alone.

The base was exactly what she expected, but it was still enough to take her breath away. Storms had been lingering in the sky all day, coloring the air a dull, murky blue, but it did nothing to detract from the impressiveness of the runway. Madoka knew it probably wasn’t even all that special compared to so many other human-made structures, but for someone who had never seen such a sight, it was positively magnificent. In a daze, Madoka drifted up to the line of about twenty or so, and took her place among them.

“Recruits.” A voice barked in the distance. It wasn’t harsh or militaristic, but rather more biting and controlled. The timbre of it fascinated her—it clearly belonged to someone who had seen things far beyond their years.

A young woman approached their line, her steps as strong and confident as her towering posture. She wore a set of heels that clicked as she walked; creating a certain intensity that was mirrored in every feature of her face and body. Her mouth was drawn into a thin line beneath her flat-ish nose, all framed by an inky sweep of black hair that fell behind her back and past her waist.

It was a woman who had been through hell and back—that much was clear.

“I’ve been told you lot are the new pilots,” She began, coming to a stop in front of them. Madoka’s pulse quickened. “My name is Homura Akemi—I serve here as a top-level combat advisor. I’ve also been instructed to greet all of you…” She turned on her heels, seemingly ready to pace. She did not move. “I should be offering words of encouragement to you, but…” She then turned entirely away from the group, offering them nothing but a cold view of her impressive curtain of hair.  “This isn’t a job you _want_ to have. It’s the sort of career you take only if you are presented with no other options.” Madoka swore she saw her glance slightly over her shoulder as she said this—conveying a hint of grief in her eyes all the while. “I hope you are all in such a position. Otherwise, I recommend you leave. If you have a life you love, and people to return to, there is no reason to wreck your life inside one of these monsters. To fight monsters… we created monsters ourselves. Do not forget that under any circumstances.”

A tremor passed over Madoka as Homura finished her statement, sending her hands into a quivering frenzy and pushing her knees together until they knocked. The speech might as well have been directed at her, as it brought such a sudden preemptive clarity onto her—that she had made the wrong choice. The runway was suddenly spinning around her, turning the falling raindrops into long blue streaks that stained the dark air. She wanted to curl in on herself and cry, she wanted to speak out and ask why on earth this woman would say such a thing—

“Follow me inside. I’ll show you all to your quarters. You will be reporting to the Jaeger hanger at 0500 hours tomorrow. Directions and maps will be provided.” Homura then began to walk, her strides as bold and confident as they had been upon her entrance.

It was irrational, but a strong feeling of fear and wonder came over Madoka as she watched the woman move away from her own frozen form. She simply couldn’t understand why someone would be so cruel so quickly—so blunt as to cut down a whole group of recruits before they had even begun. Even if this woman had experienced tragedy, it wasn’t fair to push it onto others… Unless this was it a warning? Did she wish to get them out of this while they still were free to do so? Piloting a Jaeger was obviously dangerous, but they had all chosen this for themselves. Who was she to judge their motivations for doing so?

Still, her mother and father hovered at the back of her brain, her little brother standing between them with the biggest grin on his young round face. A pang of loss suddenly marred the image as she imagined the pain that would come onto them if they were to find out she had been killed by the claws of a massive Kaiju, tearing through her Jaeger’s cockpit…

Madoka knew she could turn around right now. She could close her teary eyes and walk the other way. Forget this ever happened and board the plane that had taken her here…

No. This was her chance—she couldn’t let the cold (or broken?) heart of some stanger ruin it quite yet. Throwing fear behind her, she stepped forward, and followed Homura inside.

\---

_“Mami Tomoe,” The blonde offered her hand with a grin so sincere that it lit a small fire in Homura’s heart. This girl was hardly the image of a Jaeger pilot that she had expected. There were no scars on her face, or hard eyes, only curly pigtails and a gentle smile._

_“Homura… Akemi.” She replied, completing the handshake with her own trembling palm._

_“Well then,” Mami said, a gleam reflecting in her eye as she turned to look into the vast hanger behind them. “We’ve shook hands physically, so I guess it’s time to move onto the neural version, no…?”_

_The_ Clockwork Rose _stared back at them, no hope or emotion in its two massive, fake, cold eyes._

**Author's Note:**

> The choice to make Mami Homura's old drift partner is a bit dodgy, isn't it? I mean, the two had very limited interactions in the canon series. However! I justify my actions in two ways-- one-- I want to explore what a relationship would look like with them, and two-- Mami's unfortunate, early demise in the show...
> 
> I hope I've left you all excited for more. ^^


End file.
